A New Life
by Kanalily
Summary: Hayden arrives in Mineral Town to check up on his old friend who he hasn't heard from in two years. What he finds is an overgrown farm that's left to him. Will the city boy become a country boy?


The Almighty Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon, or any of the concepts. I do own the character's words and personalities, though. They're the only things that are mine. –hisses-

_So this is it. _These were the first of Hayden's thoughts as he grimly surveyed the barren field. A mangy, young dog was staring at the teen cautiously, looking rather hostile. Hayden stared right back, causing the pup to shrink back into its decaying doghouse. He laughed, whistling to the dog, but only a whimper of fear replied. He shrugged it off, his thoughts returning back to the vast field coated with weeds and moss. Twigs were scattered everywhere and some rocks protruded from underneath the earth. Hayden sighed. _What happened to the old man that made this place end up like this? When I was little it was beautiful- thriving with life…_

Hayden had to admit this was no little child's dream. This place was very abandoned. He sighed, glancing back at the wooden hut that stood at the head of the property. The dog was beginning to creep out again, hoping to escape from the threat Hayden posed. Slowly, the teenager crept towards the unsuspecting dog, trying to sneak up on him.

"WHAT IN THE BLAZES DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING HERE?" roared a man's voice, and with that Hayden toppled over onto his back, staring up at a rather rotund man. "This land is private property! Trespassers are prohibited!"

Hayden was shocked, but not so that he couldn't speak. "Why's this place so overgrown?" he asked impudently, waiting for his answer.

The chubby man heaved a sigh as well, his furied face turning downcast. "It's been this was since Old Man James died," he replied. "He said in his will it'd be left to Hayden, but that punk hasn't shown up. It really was a beautiful farm."

Hayden scowled. "I'm the 'punk'," he interjected. "I didn't know he'd died."

The rotund man blinked in surprise. "Hayden, then, are you? Sorry for yelling, it's just that the neighborhood troublemaker Kai was prowling about last year, stealing some of James's things. I thought you might have been doing the same."

Hayden rose, stretching. "Yeah. Anyway, isn't there legal stuff to discuss? I mean, like, since I'm all in the will and the like."

The man shook his head. "No. Mineral Town doesn't have a court, though we have good old me. I'm Thomas, the mayor. So, as mayor, I'll just fix you up a bit, and then you're on your own. "

Hayden nodded in agreement. "That sounds fine. Could you show me around the property a bit, though? I'm not familiar with this place anymore. The last time I was here was when I was only six or seven."

Thomas grinned. "No problem. You're moving in, so you'd best know where everything is. Follow me, please, for a grand tour of your new home."

He started off towards the hut, pausing for a moment. "This is where James lived, so I guess you'd live here too. The outside is kind of shabby, yes, but inside it's absolutely wonderful. There's a bed, so I covered it when James died so dust wouldn't settle on it. There's a very old television set, but it works. There's also a locked chest with tools in it. I'll give you the key. The hut really is small, but if you work hard, you can hire Gotz to expand your house if you wish."

Hayden tried to absorb this the best he could. Thomas was speaking rapidly, and there was a lot to understand. He'd barely gotten it all when Thomas moved off a bit to the side, capturing Hayden's attention. "This is the mailbox," declared Thomas. "I think you know the properties of a mailbox, Hayden, so I'll leave that to you. Now, come on."

The next stop was the doghouse. The mangy dog still remained inside, whimpering at Thomas. "This is where James's dog Kayla used to live. She died after James did, and this little guy's brothers and sister were adopted. He's the only one left. He needs a home, Hayden. Maybe you could give him one. He doesn't look so great either, so I'd take him inside if I were you. Also, a dog would be great for scaring off predators and trespassers at night."

Hayden nodded, bending down to the ground. "Hey, doggy. Come out."

Despite the pup's awful fear, it meekly crawled towards him. Slowly, Hayden advanced on the dog, snatching it with a sudden movement. The dog wailed loudly, wanting his freedom once more. It began to wriggle out of Hayden's arms.

"Whoa there! Be still, I don't want to hurt you." The dog silenced immediately, ceasing to squirm. "You're actually quite a nice dog. You need a name, though- how's Sam?"

The dog licked Hayden's face and wagged its tail. "Sam it is," decided Hayden with a laugh.

Thomas was watching all this, and suddenly he said, "Well, I think we're done looking at the doghouse. Shall we move on?"

Hayden nodded, though still trying to get the now-excited Sam to calm down. The trio set off once more, coming to a halt near a weather-beaten barn. It seemed a bit old, with planks hanging off. The door was coated with rust on its handle, which Hayden guessed might have been glossy at one point.

"This is the barn .If you choose to have livestock like cows or sheep you can keep them here. The granary is full of grasses you can feed them. Also, if you plant grass and you cut it, then you can put it in the granary to feed your cows and sheep. Everything you need for the livestock can be bought at Yodel Farm, which is run by Barley."

Once more, Thomas bustled off, leaving Hayden to follow him. The next stop was a little shed. The mayor threw open the doors, exposing neatly stack wood cut into precise logs. "This is the lumber shed, if you need it. Gotz can give you a fireplace in your house, but for a fee, no less, and you can burn these in there. You can also use these to build fences. Lumber is quite handy indeed," explained Thomas, before sighing.

"I haven't been on such an excursion lately," he wheezed. "I'm getting fat and old, I'm afraid."

Hayden had to stop himself from telling the mayor that he was very correct.

"Anyway, we really must keep moving. There's still quite a bit to explain. We've only gone about only half the land."

The next stop (which also was quite close by) was a stable that was fit for a single horse. "James had a horse," offered Thomas.

"I know," interjected Hayden. "I remember her. She was very gentle."

"Well, she used to live here," continued Thomas, annoyed. "She got too old to do any farm work about five years ago, so James sold her to Barley. He used her as a broodmare, and I do believe she had a foal about a month ago. She died giving birth, though, so that's really quite a shame."

Hayden stared sadly at the worn stable, and then followed Thomas to a strange, large metal box. "This is a shipment box," stated Thomas. "You put the things you want to sell in here, and at five o clock every day Zack comes to pick them up. He keeps only about 100 gold a day from all your profits, so he's making money too. But he pays you for all you give him. Some things can't be shipped, though, so be cautious."

Next they came to a tree. "I remember this tree!" said Hayden excitedly. "I used to climb in it when I was little! It was very young back then, though, and the bee's nest was very small. It's huge now."

Thomas smiled. "Yes, and it also bears apples in the fall. I see no explanation is needed here, so we'll move on to the chicken coop."

The chicken coop was a small wooden building painted a faint blue. "Chickens, which can be bought from Popuri's place, will live here. You can feed them the food they sell there, or you can grow corn and put it through the mill to make chicken food."

Thomas turned to Hayden. "Well, that's mostly it. That field over there can be used for anything. You'll need to clear it, though. That trunk I spoke about earlier has all the tools you'll need to survive on this farm. Come on, I'll give you the keys to everything."

Thomas started heading up towards the hut, and once more Hayden and Sam were left to follow him, catching up with him as he opened the door to the hut, handing Hayden the keys. Hayden stepped inside, a musty odor enveloping him. "Ew," he said, disgusted.

"Yes, well, this house hasn't been lived in by a living being for almost two years, so please keep that it mind."

"Hard not to," muttered Hayden under his breath, pinching his nose to block the treacherous smell.


End file.
